I always shake and stir the tobacco in the plastic container, the juices tend to settle at the bottom, especially, when you leave the tobacco on the shelf for a couple of days. I prefer to use a disposable plastic spoon to retrieve the tobacco from the container, the spoons add no flavor to the tobacco, and plastic is disposable.

I prefer to pack the tobacco loosely, to give the air a chance to flow easily, and make the draw easier as well. The act of smoking and drawing air through the hot tobacco, makes it "compact" and the draw will get more difficult as you smoke.